Homemade vs. Store Bought Cranberry Sauce - Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (2024)

FAQs

Homemade vs. Store Bought Cranberry Sauce - Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program? ›

The homemade cranberry sauce has nearly half the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the store brand. It also has more fiber as well as potassium! Thankfully, buying cranberry sauce at the store is not the only option.

I love the texture, shape, ridges, and dependability of the cranberry sauce that comes from a can. Each year, no matter what happens or may go wrong, I know the cranberry sauce will taste exactly as it has for as long as I can remember.

70 g of Cranberry sauce, OCEAN SPRAY, canned, whole contains 1.40 mcg vitamin A, 0.7 mg vitamin C as well as 0.14 mg of iron, 2.10 mg of calcium, 15 mg of potassium. Cranberry sauce, OCEAN SPRAY, canned, whole belong to 'Fruits and Fruit Juices' food category.

Homemade cranberry sauce will last in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. Canned cranberry sauce that has been opened will last up to a week in the fridge. We hear you: After a long day of cooking, hosting, and celebrating, something's bound to get overlooked.

Cranberries may reduce insulin resistance

Eating them with a meal, even if they're sweetened as in cranberry sauce, causes a smaller increase in blood sugar levels than eating the same meal without cranberries.

Nutritional Facts Face-Off

We can see there is a significant difference in the nutrition facts between the two sauces. The homemade cranberry sauce has nearly half the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the store brand. It also has more fiber as well as potassium!

Homemade sauce offers the advantages of quality control, customization, and fresh ingredients, but it requires time and effort. Store-bought sauce provides convenience and consistency, yet you may need to accept compromises in terms of ingredients and cost. You might also consider combining both approaches.

4. Cranberries. Cranberries are low in potassium and high in vitamin C, making them another great choice for people with kidney disease. Cranberry juice has also been shown to help prevent urinary tract infections, which are typical for people with kidney disease.

Health Benefits

Cranberries are also rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as the metabolism-boosting mineral manganese. And yes, you reap all these benefits whether the cranberry sauce on your holiday table is homemade or canned, jellied or whole-berry.

Cranberry sauce is typically made with a lot of added sugar, but that doesn't mean it's off-limits for those with diabetes. Here's how to enjoy the festive food in a healthy way.

Can I freeze homemade cranberry sauce? ›

Homemade cranberry sauce keeps wonderfully in the freezer for up to three months. Pour your cooled cranberry sauce into freezer-friendly zip-top plastic bags, and remove as much air as possible from the bag before sealing.

Cranberries and cranberry products are usually safe for most people if consumed in moderation. However, excessive consumption may cause stomach upset and diarrhea — and may also increase the risk of kidney stones in predisposed individuals.

What to Do if You Left Out Cranberry Sauce Overnight. We hear you: After a full day cooking and hosting and (hopefully) enjoying Thanksgiving, some things are bound to fall by the wayside. But if you leave cranberry sauce out over night, whether it is homemade or store-bought, please throw it away.

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

According to a recent study, regularly consuming cranberry or cranberry juice reduces high blood pressure and improves blood circulation.

Digestive Health

Compounds called proanthocyanidins provide cranberries' vibrant color and also work as antimicrobial agents. They can help prevent bad bacteria, such as E. coli, from colonizing your gut and may also strengthen the gut barrier and reduce inflammation in and around your digestive tract.

The major variation you're likely to come across is "whole berry" versus "jellied." The only difference between them is that the jellied sauce is cooked until the berries have completely broken down. They both slide out of the can as a wobbly red cylinder.

But why? Ocean Spray says this is to get the cranberry sauce out in one intact piece. “The rounded part of the can that looks like the bottom has an air bubble in it,” Ocean Spray's representative explains. The bubble is there so you can “break the seal the sauce makes with the can.”

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.